Vitamin D May Help Muscle Recovery

Vitamin D is already known for providing a variety of health benefits and, adding to the list, a new study shows that vitamin D may help muscle recovery. Researchers from the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital have found that vitamin D can help with faster muscle recovery after intense exercise and may even prevent muscle damage caused by the exercise.

Published in the journal, Nutrients, Vitamin D and Human Health, this particular study concluded that higher vitamin D levels aids in muscle recovery. “We wanted to study the relationship between vitamin levels and recovery following intense exercise and we found that those who had higher vitamin D levels had a faster rate recovery from muscle damage.” said researcher Tyler Barker, PhD, lead author of the study.

Participants performed intense exercise with one leg while the other leg acted as a control. Then, their strength was tested at day one, two, three and seven, following the initial intense exercise by pushing against a special force plate. By assessing the amount of strength the leg has with the force plate, researchers could assess the initial muscle damage and then the recovery time and concluded that those with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood were able to regain their strength back quicker.

Researchers also concluded that vitamin D may protect against muscular weakness caused by muscle damage as vitamin D helps regulate different things like calcium and protein synthesis within the muscle that ultimately help a muscle move.